Curve Appeal #2: Roller Derby

Curve Appeal ~ “The Hottest Thing on Wheels” was how women’s Roller Derby was once advertised.

In researching curvy things for summer we were surprised to find Roller Derby is alive and well in Maine. There are four women’s flat track teams competing against others from around New England. They must be providing some exciting competition – their FB page has 7000 followers!

The sport of Roller Derby had a very a weird beginning.

Roller Derby was invented by one of America’s foremost impresario’s: Leo Seltzer started in his 20’s by running “Dance Marathon’s” during the depression with out of work contestants. Some running as long as 40 days. He put on 23 of them throughout the Northwest and, after grossing 2 million dollars (about 33 million in 2014 dollars), and retired at age 30.

Two years later he read an article that 93% of Americans had roller skated at some point in their life. So he started rollerskating marathons. The largest, in August of 1935, had 20,000 spectators fill the Chicago Coliseum to watch the Transcontinental Roller Derby– a mythical marathon race from one end of the country to the other which incorporated both male and female participants on a banked track.

That was the beginning of Roller Derby as we know it!

More Curve Appeal ~ Also winding and turning with an eye-grabbing view are the pieces in Pyramid’s “On the Curve” Jewelry Collection. Hand forged artisan jewelry that twists, turns, flows and gracefully accelerates with high polish. This is jewelry that never spends time in the penalty box.